It has struck me recently when I go into WINCO or 7-11 how many people are tattooed. Of course, we all know the proliferation of tattoos has increased greatly over the last 20 years or so (ignited seemingly with the grunge and hip-hop movements of the early '90's). Even so, I'm just startled by how commonplace tattoos have become. Not only the somewhat "conservative" bicep or calf tattoos but tats that just 10 years ago seemed so extreme. Remember Allan Iverson 10 years ago with his neck tattoos and how he seemed like such a freak. Now I see guys with neck tattoos every morning when I go into the 7-11 to get my coffee. I'm not even shocked anymore when I see somebody with a face tattoo. What does this say about our society - if anything? I'm not judging just interested in others takes on this phenomenon.

Tatoos used to be for people, (mostly men), who had been through something difficult or important, like prison or war. Navy guys always got them. Criminals and wannabe criminals used them to show their rebellion and pain. Tatoos were earned.

There were certain cultures where tatooing was part of the everyday lifestyle, but it wasn't the West. Today, tatoos are conformity, as are piercings. People get tattoos because they want to be cool, and fit in with the crowd. Nothing is more irritating than some tatooed kid strutting around as if he earned them.

It's a filthy practice, as is piercing. The only tatoo I'll ever get will probably be a forced bar code.

I'm 38 yrs old and tattoo-less, would definitely not get one at this point because I feel it is conformist. I was never against them, just never thought of anything I HAD to have on my skin. It is definitely a clone-mentality epidemic, all the white-trash you see w/ tattoos these days. In every hick town there are at least two tattoo shops it seems, and people really think they're something showing off someone else's lame artwork.

I don't need tattoos. I have scars. Everywhere. I once thought about getting a small tattoo for my right upper left breastical area: BODY BY GOD, like Fisher Crafts Guild used to put on Ford products. (Body by Fisher, for the hard of thinking.) But no, couldn't justify the expense. It would cut into my monthly pot allowance. Same for another tattoo I thought of having put on my dick: USDA CHOICE. So no, no tats for this old boy.

I used to go to this bar for the cheap breakfast specials. They had a cute morning barmaid most weekdays, too, sort of an added enticement. Then they hired this guy with tattoos on his neck to cook MY breakfast. Uh-uh, no way Hose A. Haven't been back there in a year. Shit, I'll cook my own damn breakfast if that's the alternative. People with neck tattoos, to my mind, are automatically dirty. They want to give me hepatitis.

I have seen tattoos on women and suddenly lost all interest. (I can do this now because I'm almost 63 and not ruled so much by the little head anymore. Plus, they wouldn't want me, anyhow, but that's beside the point.) The worst are the tramp stamps. Girls, if you got a nice pooper, it needs no decoration. Leave it the fuck alone. There is nothing more beautiful than a well-formed female ass. It cannot be improved upon. Period. Don't like titty tattoos. Don't like piercings. Don't like breast implants. Don't like big old hairy warty moles, either.

Now there's something I'd like to see. Instead of adding tacky art, stainless steel, rhinestones and bags of fucking jelly to your body, how about going to a reputable dermatologist and getting some of those ugly moles removed? I mean, do you really need that nasty, warty mushroom on your upper lip area? It'd cost less than that elaborate pair of antlers you just got needled over your ass in four gruesome installments.

I'm well aware of that. It doesn't mean I can't air my true feelings. What do I care what the rest of you think? You're all figments of my imagination.

That's just my opinion. I don't have tattoos and would never get any, but my son has one. Looks pretty good.

My oldest son (adopted when I married his Mom) has tattoos. My ex-wife paid for one for his graduation present from high school. She even took him to the tattoo parlor and got one herself in some sort of bizarre bonding excursion. I was so fucking pissed. If he's going to get one, fine, but let him pay for it - don't make it any easier for him. Not only that but he designed it himself and he's no artistic genuis - I won't describe it but it looks like something a teenager would doodle on his book cover while trying to stay awake in class - and it's fucking HUGE on his back. He's since got other tattoos that are equally ugly so I guess he's got no regrets. My ex-wife should know better though - she's an assistant principal at an intermediate school. She's since gotten a couple more tattoos too - not that I care, but if she enables my younger son to get a tattoo (pays for it for a high school graduation present) there will be hell to pay.

On the flip side some tattoos are pretty cool - very artistic. As a matter of fact my oldest son's girlfriend has a couple that look pretty good - she didn't design them herself. My advice to anyone of any age who is considering getting a tattoo is have a design by a professional artist. Don't deface your body for life by trying to express yourself with your own "vision" if you are not artistically inclined. Just the opinion of an aging buffoon (like FZ once said).

I don't care what other people do to make themselves feel/look better. They're all out there for my amusement anyway.

Some tattoos are excellent. Some are crap. Same goes for tattoo artists.

Tramp stamps, in my opinion, exist solely for the purpose of providing viewing material to the anonymous hook-ups of insecure women. And, I'm afraid, that understanding completely undermines any potential artistry of any such tattoo.

My wife has a tattoo of a koi on her ankle done by our friends' son. It's very well executed and has personal meaning to my wife and the artistry has provenance. It was also a present to herself for achieving/surviving a personal goal. She told Colin what she wanted, he did some research and came up with a design that was faithful to the time period that it was meant to represent and I think it looks excellent. And it's in a spot that she can cover if the need arises and it will not morph into some unpleasant fishstick as she gets older.

I, on the other hand, prefer to remain unmodified. Partly because my ego is very, very small and rarely requires feeding but mostly because of my friends' fathers' opinion on the subject over 20 years ago; 'Why the fuck would you voluntarily make yourself so easily identifiable to the authorities?'. I respected and remembered that comment, despite the fact that it came from a navy veteran who had the periodic tables self-tattooed on the backs of his fingers and hands...

Conformism. It's desperate people hoping to gain more acceptance. It never works in the long run, whether it's long hair or nose rings or (insert your favorite outrageous act here), but humans are experts at deluding themselves. Hair styles change. Nose ring holes close. But tattoos are forever, unless you're rich.

Actually I want to defend a certain segment of our Tattoo brothers and sisters, my wife has a couple, she was ahead of the fad and always wanted one, I attribute it to her type ‘A’ personality.

The Daughter Plook the Younger and her Fiancée (that’s a joke their so busy they'll never have time to get married) both have a considerable amount of Tattoos,

Tony being an ex Marine and totally into the Zen thing is headed towards a full body covering. the Daughter Plook the Younger has many and they all mean something. When they dress for work or to go out you would not even know they are there, they are not generally showing them off or trying to get attention. But when they go swimming people just go wow that’s a lot of tattoo's

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